The making of 'The Race' by creature animator, John Cox

John Cox is a visual effect master who for most of his life has sewn, pricked and glued together creatures for the movies....now he's turning his hands to art, and using the newest technologies to revolutionise sculpting.

Not since he was getting crafty with crayons as a boy has John Cox 'been an artist'.

But he's proven his metal as a creature animator for 33 years, making monsters and real and oversized, mechanised animals. He's shared an Oscar for the visual effects in the movie Babe and won an AFI Award for the monumental crocodile in Rogue.

Now he's turning his hand to sculpture...with a revolutionary twist.

His very first artwork is created '90 percent' by human hand.

'The Race' is a feature of the annual Swell Sculpture Festival held on the Gold Coast beach of Currumbin.

This video was made with footage and interviews by ABC Gold Coast Cross Media Reporter Sara Hicks, and footage contributed by John Cox.